Automatic switch mechanism.



@a /Q l@ @l C. H. BBNCSIK.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH MBGHANISM.

APPLIUATI'QN FILED AUG. 1, 1914. 1 ,1 1 6,973, Patented N0v.-10, 1914.

TERs C'o.,PHomL|THo.. WASHINGTON. D. C,

zand the object of the invention istopro- CHARLES Hxnnivcsrx, orcrncinivnrionro.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH MECHANISIVI.

To all inkom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H.`BnNos1K, a citizen ot' the United States,.and a resident-of Cincinnati, in the countyy oflHamilton and State ofOhio, have. invented a certain new and useful Improvement yin AutomaticSwitch Mechanism, of which the f following is a specification.

This invention relates to switch devices for use in lines "ofrailwaythat have means `or automaticallyfclosing openswitches'dur? i ingthe passage ofapproaching engines or trains that would otherwisebe indanger of undue shifting from one track to lthe' other resulting in theylossof life and property,

y .vide positiver mechanical means, 'in connection with thetrack and theswitch-throwing mechanism,` that are adapted tobe. raised .orlelevated;aboveVthe ordinary level of the .track whenthe switch is yopenand to be .positively loweredor depressed in lan auto- ""vicexwiu be anyhereinafter described 'and particularly pointed outvin the-claims.

latter being shown in open position,

matic manner by means of adevice that yis carried by the engine or bythe lirst car approaching the open switch thus closing the said openswitch before the fore wheels of said approaching. engine or train reachthe switch. Y j y The details of structure of this safetyde- In theaccompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 -is a plan view showing myimprovement in setposition for use 1n conw'nection with an openswitch;Fig.2, a side elevation showing the improved triggermechanism box invertical section, and with a side elevation of the cam that is carriedby the engine to autoinaticallythrow the open switch. before the kenginecan reach the latter; Fig. 3, a fragmentary sectional plan projectedfrom the trigger-mechanism seen yin Fig. 2, suchtrigger being in setposition ready for the oncoming train and to release the weighted devicethat is adapted to 1nstantly throw the switch into closed posi-V tionfor the said train to pass safely-onward along the track itl is intendedto take or use.

, 1 indicates the cross-'ties onwhich arelaid the track-rails 2 and theswitch-rails' 3, the

f 4: indicates the inclosing-box for the switch-operating mechanism thatis mounted -on extended cross-ties alongside the track adjacent theswitch-pointy v Box 4t has a vertical partition 5, on one side ofgywhichSpecification of Letters lfatent. Application ledmugust 1, 1914. SerialN o. 854,532.

lever is pivotally-mounted at 7, weight8 Patented Nov. 10, 1914. i

being adjustably and` removably "mounted on said lever and thelatterhaving a hann dle-ormed upper or outer end 9 for use inmanually-operating; the `.switch when re-` quired.` The lower end of thelever 6 has a pendent angular-extension 10 whose lower end, in turn,.ispivotally-connected lwith va lrod llthat leads through the end wall ofthe box L to `the Ibell-crank leverI or farm .12 thatvisfpivotally-mounted on an extended cross-tie kand is pivotally-coupled,to ,the

outer end of the switch-bar'I 13. e e la y1s ad trigger-,armpivotally-mounted on a pin-'15 that is supported ina pair ;of

spaced projections `16 on the ytace of partie tion' y5 oppositefto thatyon which the weightedelever 6 4. is mounted. One' end rof thetrigger-arm 14 is yforked so as to receive a horizontal latch-bolt 17that ispivotally-y connected in `place near its, .outerv end by meansofk a transverse pin 18 that crosses an enlarged or flattened portionof` the bolt. The other end of the trigger-arm is inclined .atf19 andtherebyadapted for rictional,

actuating engagement with an emergency 'f lock-lever 20 that yis.pivotally-mounted yat 21 on a stud 22 extending from the Lsame face ofpartition 5 as thatof the projections 16, but belowthelatter, as bestseenginFig.

2. The lower end-of the lock-'lever 20 is forked to receive the.l innerendo a longr `rod23 that extendsquite a distance alongside and parallelto the track and has a terminall24that slidesin a vertically-slottedbearing 25 mounted on a .tie-extension remote from the switch. ,A spiralspring 26 iscarried by the outer 'endof the rod 23 betweentthe saidbearing 25 and a collar 27, the latter being adapted to beset on the rodto suit the desired tension or resilient"adf justment thereof in theoperationy of the switch-throwing device. i 28 indicates a transverseshaft mounted in a pair @of upright bearings. 29 on'lsaidremotetie-extensio'n that is convenienti to the j outer end of the rodA`23, the'latterj being o pivotally-connected to afcrank-arm 30 thatextends from the yshaft 28 adjacent the outer one yof the bearings 29.`I t 31 indicates va convex-faced arm ,or cam f' extending laterallyfrom` the shaft 28 adjacent theinner/.one of the bearings 29, and 32 isa shoe orcam adapted to be attached to the fore `end of. the engine,ahead of any `of the trackpwheels thereof, and positioned i so thatitlies vertically outside ofthe rails of the track, the distancedependingonthat of the cam or arm 31`from the rails.' -Shoes 32 are mounted atboth sides ofthe engine, preferably between the rear of the pilot andthe foremost wheelsl thereof, and-their lower cam-faces slope inopposite directionsv so that the spring-controlled rod 23 and thetrigger devices can recover and become at,

course into the switch vand assuringthe safe 1 passage kof the trainjand direct onward along the track-rails 2.

When the shoe or cam 32 on the engin p inner end of its inclined face19.

`while the bolt 17 is thus held in retracted and, as it is intended thatthe said handled weighted-lever 6, when elevated, shall not advancebeyond the inclination 4shown in Fig. 2 that is away from aperpendicular position, said lever 6 should be locked in its elevatedposition while the switchis being used, the locking being effected kbymeans of the latch-bolt 17 whose outer end has a convenient handle 34whereby the bolt can be readily drawn outwardly sufficient topermit therelease of the lock-lever 20 from said notch 33 which is nowautomatically done `by the expansion of the spring 26 that causes therod 23 to move lengthwise or longitudinally forward and the lock-lever20 to be swung backward along the inclined face 19 of the trigger-armuntil the normal relation seen in Fig. 3 is attained, the latchbolt 17in the meantime being projected forwardly by the switchman so that `itsinner end shall lie in the downward path of the weighted-lever 6 andhold it in the elevated position seen in Fig. 2. y y

Shouldthe switchman fail or neglect to pull the latch-bolt 17 outwardlyto release the weighted-lever 6 after 'a switching op- Yeration andthereby close the switch in ordinary use, the device then remains in'the vset position seen in the drawings, and especially in Fig. 2, readyfor emergency use when the moving train approaches and automatically.closes the switch-rails in the manner referred to above in describingthe details of the device.

It will 'be observed that this device can bereadily applied without anyalteration or change in the track or switch in general use whatever, andthat the actuating block or cam carried by the engine is extremelysimple, readily secured injplace for action and not easily `gotten outof `order or apt to interfere with the working of the engine in theleast or at any time.

The boxing l around the trigger mechanism shields it from the elements,ice, snow,

dust7 .-cinders and other possible deleterious.

and damaging effects, and the Weight on the f' lever 6 can bereadilyremoved'lor adjusted when necessary as it is mountedoutside saidcasing vor boxing.

I claim '1. A safety railway-switch closing device Q comprising aswitch-bar, a bell-crank, a rod, has depressed the cam `31 on theshaft28` the spring 26 is compressed and,as'soon as l the fore-face of theshoe 32 has passed said` cam 31, the outer end of the lock-lever 20%becomes in locking-engagement with a notch or shoulder 33 on thetrigger-arm at the.

with said weighted-lever, a swinging locklever one end of which isadapted to frictionally-engage said trigger-arm, a longi- `f Ytudinalrod pivotally-connected at one end The switch can now be operated bymeans of the handled-lever 6 for its intended useA to the vother end ofsaid lock-leverand carrying a coil-spring at its other or remote end,

a transverse shaft mounted on a lateral cross-tie extension at saidremote end of said rod, a crank-arm on said shaft pivotally- .connectedto said remote endI of the rod, a

cam mounted on said shaft near the track- 2. A safety railway-switchclosing device comprising a switch-bar, a bell-crank, a connecting-rod,agpivotal weighted-lever connected to said rod, a horizontal latch-bolt,a pivotal trigger-arm having one end thereof pivotally-connected to saidbolt and adapted to carry it into and from detaining engagement withsaid weighted-lever when the latter'is in elevated position yand havingits other end notched and inclined, a swinging lock-lever yhaving oneend thereof adapted to frictionally-engage said notched and inclined endofthe trigger-arm, an in closed supporting-frame, a longitudinal rodextending remotely along the outside of the track andpivotally-connected at its inner end-of an extension on said lock-lever,a coil-spring on the longitudinal rod, a trans- Verse shaft mounted on alateral cross-tie extension at the outer or remote endof saidA Copie: ofthis patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by address-1711: theCommissioner of Patenti,l y

the latter in dropping causing the open switch to closebefore thefore-wheelsof the engine o1"` advancing train v;` can enter `the y iswitch but to maintain them in -thefproperp A onward course `on thetrack'intended to be p used. c p H Y n p Y y CHARLES H.y BENCSIK.Witnesses:v n i JOHN ELIAS JoNEs, ,Y vWILLIAisr SCHUCHAR'DT.

Washington. D. 0."

`15 if i

